iPhone 8 is getting a crazy all-glass ‘redesign’, apparently

The iPhone 8 could herald a new age of Apple design, as rumours of an all-glass iPhone emerge.

A new report claims that Hon Hai Precision Industry – better known as Foxconn in the west – is working on a “glass casing” for Apple, in a bid to replace the standard metal chassis. Taiwan’s Foxconn is a key supplier of metal chassis for Apple already, and aims to develop the new glass body to “boost weakening demand and to see off stiff competition from rivals”, according to a new report by Japan’s Nikkei news agency.

A person with knowledge of Apple’s supply chain in Taiwan is reported as saying: “Foxconn has been trying glass chassis since last year.”

Meanwhile, another source commented: “It is only natural that Foxconn is trying to come up with glass chassis as the capabilities to provide more components will bolster its standing within the supply chain and help with more orders.”

(Image credit: Herman Haidin/Behance)

The report claims that the new glass body will be developed in time for the 2017 launch of the iPhone 8. Apple has long been expected to make sweeping changes to its flagship smartphone next year, as 2017 marks the 10th anniversary of iPhone.

By contrast, this year’s iPhone 7 is expected to be an underwhelming affair. Some of the biggest rumoured changes for the phone include the removal of the headphone jack, reduced antenna banding, and a new colour option – ‘Space Black’. Hold onto your seats, folks.

Apple is likely to unveil the iPhone 7 at a dedicated launch event next month, possibly alongside the Apple Watch 2. The iPhone 8, meanwhile, probably won’t be here until September 2017 at the earliest.